Mail-bag catcher.



A. PONTON.

MAIL BAG CATGHER. 'KPP-LICTION FILED SEPLZ'T, 1912.

1,056,449, Patented Mar. 18, i913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. PNTON.

MAIL BAG GATUHER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-.27.1912

Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

2 SHEETS-"SHEET 2 lli ARTHUR YPONTON, OF MURBOCK, LLINOIS.

MAIL-BAG- CATCHEB.

Specification of Letters Estant. i ,Patented Biggi 185 19131 Applicationled September 27, l912. Serial No. 722,702.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it lmown that l, ARTHUR PoNrroN,

citizen of the United States, residing at Murdock, in the county ofDouglas and State o illinois, have invented certain new and usefulimprovements in ltlail-'Bag Catchers, of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inmail bag catchers, and has 'for its object to provide a device of thischaracter which embodies o whichl'will act in effective manner toreceiver andgrip the mail bag. f

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fullyappear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof beingpointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding oi: the invention, reference is to be had tothe following description and accompanying drawing, in whichz*g Figure lis a side elevation of a mail bag catcher constructed Ain accordancewith the invention, tbe jaws being arranged in an open position. Fig. 2is a plan view of the mail bag catcher. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionalview on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. Il is a side elevation ot the innerend ofthe catcher, showing the hinged connection between the movablejaw' and the base. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the position of theparts after a 'mail bag has been engaged. Fig, 6 is a similar Viewshowing the mail beg catcher as swung; inwardly toward the side oli thecar in an inoperative position, and 7 is a sectional viewI on the line7-7' of Fig. ll. A

Corresponding and like s are referred to in the following .descriptionand indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same referencecharacters.

Specifically describing the present em-v bodiment of the invention, thenumeral 1 designates the lined jaw of the mail ba., catcher, the outeror fre" end ot the tiren jaw being formed with the spaced andsubstantially parallel arms 1l which are connected at anintermediatepoint in their length by means of the cross bar 2. This `iawl may be formed of sheet material and is integral with a shank 3, thesaid shankbeing pivotally mounted upon a vertical pivot bolt 4 whichconnects the two brackets 5 and 6 upon the side of the car. f rlhe shank3 is preferably formed by returning the piece of sheet metal, and themovable jaw 7 is hinged to the extremity of this returned end of thesheet metal. Suitable springs 9 are applied to the hinged joint 8 at theinner end of the movable jaw 7, the said springs normally tending toswingthe movable jaw toward the fixed jaw. The free end of the movablejaw is constructed similar to the free end of the fixed jaw l, beingformed with the spaced and substantially `parallel arms 7 a connected bythe upright cross bar 2a.

In order to limit the outward swinging movement of the movable jaw 7, alink connection is provided between the two jaws at a point toward theinner end thereof, the' said link connection comprisin the two verticalplates 10 which have t eir adjacent edges connected by the links' 11,while the outer edges thereof are connected by the links l2 to therespective jaws. These plates l l() are adapted to swing inwardly topermit of the jaws coming' together, although they limit the outwardswlnging movement ofA the movable jaw 7 and prevent the same from beingswung too far away from. the ixed jaw 1. f

A swing trigger 13 lis pivoted upon the outer end of the movable jaw 7,the said trigger being adapted to be swung inwardly so as to bepositioned between the two jaws v 1 and 7 as indicated by Fig. 2, soas'to hold the jaws in an open position. The jaws are in this positionwhen the devicev 1s set t/o receive a mail bag, the mail bag strikingagainst the triggerll and serving to lswing the same .inwardly and moveit intov in- V'iperative position, thereby permittin lthe springs 9 toswing the movable jaw toward the Vfixed jaw l and securely grip the mailbag. The mail bag will thus be held ,ir'mly between the jaws until itcan be swung toward the car and removed from Vposition by the operator.

The invention further contemplates the provision of means for lockingthe catch l 'either iny an opeilative or an inoperative pol sition. Alatclgilil is pivotallyniounted .upon the lower bracket 6 by means of apivot pin l'whieh passes through an intenl mediate portion` of the saidlatch. The latch is provided immediately above the pivot 'portionthereof with a V shaped notclrlti, and on opposite sides of' the Jshaped notch with the notchcsl'? andlS respectively, the

le inner end of the latch being formed Awith a suitable handle ,19. Apair oi.- springs Q0 and 21 have intermediate portions thereof coiledabout the pivot pin 15, one end of each of the springs engaging thebracket G,

.while the opposite end of each of the springs engages the latch 14. Thespring' ZO engages the latch upon the handle side thereof so as toreturn the latch -tonormal position after the handle end thereof hasbeen depressed.

'20 ln a similar manner the spring 2l engages the outer end of the latchle so as to return the latch to normal position when the said outer endot the latch has been depressed. vWhen the shank S of the mail bag4eateher is in an intermediate position, it is' received Within the -Vshaped notch 16C It. can then position, orl inwardlvinto engagement withthe notch 17 /whiclij willfhold it. inoperative position. or inw'ardljyinto engagement. with 30 .the notch lwhich will hold it in inoperativeposition.- After the shank has en- 4gaged either ot the notches 1T or 18the mail bag catcher will be held securclx7 in position untilafterthelatch 14: shall have been manually manipulated to release theshank 3 fronrengagcmnt with either one of the notches and bringr it hackinto the V shaped notch 16.

In the operation of the device the trigger 40 13 will be swung intoengagement. with the 'fixed 'jaw 1 so as to hold the movable jaw in anopen position, as indicated b v Fig. 2. The entire catcher will then beswung out- 'Wardly and brought into engagement with`r the notch 17 ofthe latch 14. Then the mail bag is engaged contact with the said mailbag will swing the trigger 13 inwardly so as t0. release the movable jaw7 and permit lthe springs 9 to swing the movable jaw inwardly and 'gripthe mail bag. The oper- 50 leter will then manipiilate the latch plate14- i and swing the catcher into inoperative p0- sition, with the shank3 in engagement with the notch 18 of the'lateh plate. The mail bag canthen he manually moved 'from the catcher'and taken into the car.

Having thus described the invention, what ,l claim as new and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, is :v 1. A mailbag catcher including abracket, a shank hinged upon' the bracket., a fixed jaw carried by theshank, a hinged jaw carried by. the shank in coperative relation'to thefixed jaw, yielding means normally tending to swing the hinged jawtoward the fixed jaw, a pivoted trigger carried by the free end of oneof the jaws and adaptedto engage the opposite jaw to hold the jaws in anopen position, engagement with the mail bag serving to move the triggerinto an in operative position to release the hinged jaw,- and a spring'latch pivoted upon the bracket and adapted to engage the shank to holdtheratcher in predetermined positions.

2. A inail bag catcher including a bracket, a. shank pivoted upon thebracket, coperating` iXed and movable jaws carried by the shank,yielding means normally tending to close/che jaws, means for holding thejaws lin an Aopen position, the said means being 8.0

released by engagement with a mail bag, af, latch pivoted between itsends upon the bracket, said latch beine' provided' opppsitef the pivotpoint with a l! shaped note-blandl ARTHUR PONTON. Witnesses:

H. C. ENGLAND,-

W. W. Pon'rnnrmw.

upon opposite sides of the V shaped notelil'

